Supporting-bracket for fire-extinguishers and the like



M. G. KOPF. SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR FIRE EXTIN'GUISHERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25, 1919.

Patgnted Apr. 20, 1920.

7/ e/7/0/t Me/rase 61 4 0 6 MELROSE e. 3021*,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RALKO PRODUCTS COMPANY,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SUPPORTING-BRACKET FOB FIRE-EXTING-UISHERS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr.20, 1920.

Application filed January 25,1919. Serial No. 272,995.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELROSE G. KOPF, a.

citizen of the United" States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting- Brackets for Fire-Extinguishers and the like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to supporting brackets forfire extinguishers and the like.

The object of the invention is toprovide a bracket which will firmly support a fire extinguisher, in either a horizontal or a vertical position, and from which theextinguisher may be quickly and easily removed when it is needed.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a bracket which will have means for closing the discharge nozzle of the extinguisher and preventing-all leakage therefrom so long as the extinguisher is in position on the bracket.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bracket which will prevent any manipulation of-the extinguisher so long as it is in position on the bracket; and which will have means for indicating when the extinguisher has been removed from the bracket and replaced by an unauthorized person.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bracket of this kind which willbe very simple in its construction and which will have no parts which are liable to be disarranged or to in, any way interfere with the removal of the extinguisher; which will be of a very strong, durable character; and

which can be produced at a low cost.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a bracket embodying my invention and showing the extinguisher in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a front elevation'of the bracket, partly broken away; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the bracket showing the sealing means.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as comprising a. main portion 1 which is adapted to be secured to a wall, an automobile or other structure to which the bracket is to be attached, and this main portion is here shown in the form of a longitudinal bar. Carried by this main portion of thebracket at one end thereof is a part adapted to engage the nozzle of the fire extinguisher and close the same in such a manner as to prevent all leakage through the nozzle. It will be understood that it is desirable that the discharge nozzle of a fire extinguisher should be valveless, first, because the valve addsan extra part tobe operated and is apt to be forgotten by the operator in the excitement of a fire and, second, when the device has stood for a long period of time before it is usedthere is danger of the valve sticking so that it cannot be opened. In the present construction the nozzle engaging and closing part of the bracket is carried by an arm 2 secured to and extending at an angle to the main portion or bar 1 of the bracket, and the nozzle closing part itself is preferably in the form bf a recessed plate or cup 3 carried by the arm 2 and of such size as to receive the end of the nozzle. The nozzle can be efiectua-lly closed by the use of a flat plate or disk, but by in-.

sorting the end of the nozzle in a cup-shaped plate it is held against lateral displacement. The plate is provided on its contact surface with a layer of yieldable, material 4 with -which the end of the nozzle contacts, and

with which it will form a firm engagement which will efiectually close the end of the nozzle. Various materials may be used for this purpose, but leather is very satisfactory and, where the fire extinguishing solution is of such a character as to have a chemical action upon the leather, as in the case of tetrachlorid, the leather may be protected by a coating of impervious material, such as a very thin layer of lead foil, as shown at 5 The bracket is also provided with means for engaging the extinguisher in such a manner as to'hold the nozzle firmly in engagement with the nozzle closing part 3 and, as here shown, this means com rises a lug 6 carried by the part 1 of the racket and arranged to engage the upper end of the extinguisher, the end wall or cap of the extinguisher being of such a shape as to form under all lation to the nozzle closing part 3 that when the lug is in engagement with the extinguisher the nozzle will be held firmly against its seat in the part 3. Preferably, however, one of the parts is yieldable to facilitate the placing of the extinguisher in position and to maintain the closure tight circumstances. In the present 1nstance the nozzle closing part 3 is yieldable relatively to the lug 6 and this yieldability may be secured, as in the form shown, by making the supporting arm 2 of resilient material, thus, when the extinguisher is in place on the bracket the leather seat of the nozzle closing part will exert a constant pressure against the end of the nozzle. The

arm 2 requires but little resilience, and if the seat for the nozzle is sufliciently yieldable, the arm may be practically rig-id. 1 Consequently the arm can be made to support the extinguisher against longitudinal movement, and when the bracket is in an upright position the arm will carry substantially the full weight of the extinguisher. The lug 6 will serve to hold the extinguisher against all longitudinal movement bracket, but to hold the extinguisher against lateral movement, I have mounted upon the main portion or bar 1 of the bracket a pair of resilient fingers 7 which are arranged be tween the lug 6 and the arm 2. fingers are of such a character and are so arranged that the extinguisher may be readily slipped between the same when it is placed upon the bracket, and they will serve to hold the extinguisher in position on the bracket until positive force is applied thereto.

It is also desirable that the bracket should beprovided with means for preventing the manipulation'of the extinguisher while it is in. position on the bracket, and further, to prevent the extinguisher moved, operated and then replaced on the bracket without notice of some sort that it has been operated. It not infrequently happens, particularly in industrial establis ments, that an extinguisher will be used and then replaced on the bracket in an empty condition, which does not come to the knowledge of the person in charge until the extinguisher is again needed, and, it is also of record that the fire extinguishing fluid .has' been removed from an extinmiislier and h I a replaced with a combustible fluid. present instance the bracket is shown in connection with an extinguisher in which a piston is operated by gas generated back of the piston, and the generation of this gas is controlled by a plunger 8 having an operat- The bracket is proing head or button 9. vided with a guard which extends in such relation to the plunger 8 that the plunger cannot be moved from its inoperative position while the extinguisher is in the bracket.

. mg the relative to vthe These from being re- This may be accomplished in various ways, but I have here shown the guard in the form of an arm 10 which extends beneath the head or button 9 of the plunger, the end of the arm being slotted, as shown at 11, to receive the shank of the plunger. This arm is so arranged that when the extinguisher is placed in position on the bracket the plunger will enter the slot 11 and will thus be locked in its inoperative position. To prevent the extinguisher from being removed and replaced without notice to the proper authorities, I have provided means for sealplunger in the slot 11. In the present instance this sealing extended through registered openings in the button or head 9 and in the arm 10 andhas its ends brought together and fastened by a sealing wafer of suitable material, such as lead, as shown at 13. Obviously, if the plunger is removed from the slot, the seal will be broken and, upon inspection, it will be at once apparent that the extinguisher 'has been removed from the bracket. The lug 6 is of such width that the extinguisher cannot be moved out of engagement therewith without breaking the seal 12, and this lug serves to prevent the extinguisher being moved upward far enough to permit the plunger to be operated. Consequently, the extinguisher cannot be manipulated either to remove the fire extinguishing liquid therefrom or to operate the controlling plunger 8, without first'removing it from the bracket, and the fact that the extinguisher has been so removed and then replaced will be at once apparent upon inspection.

means is in the form of a fine wire or thread 12 which -is-"so in any manner,

The arms2 and 10 at the ends of the part 1 of the bracket are preferably formed integral therewith by bending the ends of the bar into the desired positions. Such a construction is very inexpensive to manufacture and is very 'light and compact and, while being stifi' enoughto accomplish its purpose, it has suificient resiliency to permit the yielding of the nozzle closing plate 3 on the arm 2. Further, the arm 2 is of ample strength to support the weight of the entinguisher under all conditions of service when the bracket is arranged in an upright position and, when the bracket is arranged in a horizontal .or other position the resiliency of this arm 2 will prevent any breaking 4 by the broken seal.

While I have shown and described one embodiment/ of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do "not desire to be limited to the details thereof, as various modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A supporting bracket for fire extinguishers and the like, comprising an arm having a yieldable seat to engage the discharge nozzle of said fire extinguisher, to close same and support said fire extinguisher, and a stop mounted in fixed relation to said arm to engage said fire extinguisher at a point remote from said nozzle and hold said nozzle in firm engagement with said yieldable seat.

2. A supporting bracket for fire extinguishers and the like comprising an arm, a disk of yieldable material carried by said arm and forming a seat for the nozzle of said extinguisher which serves to close said nozzle, a part mounted in fixed relation to said arm at a point remote from said seat and arranged tobe engaged by a part of said fire extinguisher after said nozzle has been placed in engagement with said seat to hold the nozzle in engagement with said seat, and means to hold said extinguisher against lateral displacement.

3. A supporting bracket for fire extinguishers and the like, comprising an arm, a

cup-shaped part carried by said arm and ada Jted to receive and close the end of the disc arge nozzle of said extinguisher, and to support said extinguisher, and a part arranged at a fixed distance from said arm to engage said extinguisher and hold said nozzle firmly in said cup-shaped'part.

4. A supporting bracket for fire extinguishers and the like,comprising a bar extending lengthwise of the extinguisher and having one end portion bent to extend transversely to said extinguisher, said transverse portion of said bar having a part to engage and close the discharge nozzle of said extinguisher and to hold said extinguisher against longitudinal mover'nent, and a rigid lugmoun'ted on the main portion of said bar 'in fixed relation to the transverse portion thereof to engage said fire extinguisher and hold said nozzle in engagement with said nozzle closing part/ 5. A supporting bracket for f re extinguishers and the like, comprising a bar extending lengthwise. of the extinguisher and having its lower end portion bent to extend transversely to said extinguisher, said'transverse portion of said bar having a part to engage and close the discharge nozzle of said extinguisher, a rigid lug mounted on the main portion of said bar in fixed relation to the transverse portion thereof to. engage said extinguisher and hold said nozzle in engagement with nozzle closing part.

6. supporting bracket for fire extinguishers and the like, comprising a main portion extending lengthwise of said extinguisher, a portion extending transversely to said extinguisher at one end thereof and having a part to engage and close discharge nozzle of said extinguisher, a rigid lug mounted on said main portion in fixed rela-- .tlon to sald transverse portion and arranged to engage the extinguisher to hold the same in engagement with said nozzle closing part, and resilient-fingers carried by said main portion to engage said extinguisher and hold same against lateral displacement.

7. In a supporting bracket for fire extinguishers or the like having a discharge opening at one end and an operating device at the other end thereof, a main portion extending lengthwise of said extinguisher, a part carried by said main portion of said bracket at one end thereof to engage and close said discharge nozzle, a part carried by said main portion at a point between its ends to engage said extinguisher and hold said nozzle in engagement with said nozzle closing part, and a part carried by said main portion of said bracket at the other end thereof to prevent the operation of the operating device of said extinguisher while the latter is supported in said bracket.

8. In a supportin bracket for fire extinguishers or the like Iiaving a discharge nozzle atone end, an operating device at the other end thereof, a main portion extending lengthwise of said extinguisher and having transversely extending arms arranged at the respective ends of said extinguisher, one of said arms having a part to engage said nozzle to close the same and the other arm constituting a guard to prevent the opera tion of said operating device, and a part mounted on said main portion of said bracket between said arms to engage said extinguisher and hold the same in engagement with the first mentioned arm.

9. In a supporting bracket for fire extinguishers or the like having an operating device at one end thereof, said operating de vice comprising a head, a main portion extending lengthwise of said extinguisher and having transversely extending arms arthe other end of said extinguisher having a ranged at the respective ends of said exslot to embrace said operating device he- 10 tinguisher, one of said arms carrying a part neatli said head, said slot being of less width to engage the adjacent end of said extin than said head.

guisher, a rigid stop mounted on said main In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature portion between said arms to engage said hereto.

extinguisher and retain same in engagement with said end engaging part, the arm at MELROSE G. KOPF. 

